It is known that ethene can accelerate the ripening of foods such as fruit and vegetables. This is exploited by carrying out an ethene treatment for the targeted ripening of, for example, fruit. Equally, the emission of ethene by the fruit itself into the environment during transport is disadvantageous.
Attempts are therefore made to remove the ethene liberated from the surrounding gas again from foods such as fruit, if the food is present in a closed compartment such as packaging. Various absorbents have been proposed for this purpose in the literature. Absorbents mentioned here are, for example, activated carbon, zeolites or silica.
Thus, for example, EP-A 1 106 233 describes a process for the adsorption of ethylene from gases over an organophilic zeolite as absorbent for the storage and transport of easily perishable fruits, plants and vegetables, where the storage and transport takes place in virtually closed spaces.
Furthermore, EP-A 1 525 802 proposes inhibiting the ripening process, in particular fruit, using a foil comprising a zeolite for packaging.
In addition, in terms of environmental politics, such packaging materials like foils have to meet the requirement that they are easy to dispose of or to recycle. Owing to the high demands made of packaging materials for food such as fruit and vegetables from a food technology point of view, biodegradable materials are particularly preferred. Packaging materials such as foils composed of biodegradable polymers are likewise known in the prior art. Thus, for example, WO-A 2005/017034 and WO-A 2006/074815 describe such biodegradable polyester mixtures.
Despite the materials known in the prior art for use in conjunction with food, there continues to be a need for alternative materials.